Posts Tagged "Richie Benaud"

On a warm summer’s day in England in 1993, one of the best players of spin in the English team, Mike Gatting, would leave an innocuous looking delivery pitched outside his leg stump, to glance back with disbelief a moment later and see his off stump dislodged by the prodigiously spinning ball from Shane Warne.

His classic impersonations made the original Channel Nine cricket commentators household names, but now, Billy Birmingham has announced his ’12th Man’ franchise will end with one final album on November 27.

The legendary Richie Benaud, who passed away aged 84 on April 10, was one of the most influential figures in post-war cricket. He was a champion leg-spinner, an inspirational captain, an eminent writer and arguably the finest commentator of our time.

All-conquering Test and one-day captain Michael Clarke credits the late and great Richie Benaud for creating the winning culture that has led to Australia becoming the most dominant force in world cricket.

At tea on the last day of the tied Test in December 1960, Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson were sitting with their pads on outside the dressing room at the Gabba with the future of the match in their hands.